BC

The provincial government is moving to ease B.C.'s housing crisis by cracking down on tax evasion in the condominium market and giving municipalities more control over the protection and development of rental housing.

Finance Minister Carole James says proposed changes to the Real Estate Development Marketing Act will require developers to collect and report buyer information on the purchases of pre-sale condominiums to ensure the proper amount of tax is paid when the units are sold.

James says the prices of pre-sale condominiums are inflated by people who buy and sell the properties without ever living in them or paying capital gains tax.